The wind swept scorching air from the fire across the blood-soaked ground. The entire clearing was terrifyingly silent.
Ryusui lay motionless on the ground, his body slowly growing cold. He no longer drew a single breath.
Li Xiang slowly rose to her feet.
Her eyes, brimming with tears only moments ago, clouded over. There was not a trace of light in their dark depths.
She stared fixedly at Thorn before her.
Across from her, Thorn clutched his torn, bleeding ear. Blood covered half his face, making him look savage and crazed.
Watching the battered Li Xiang still refuse to submit, he suddenly let out a low cackle, shrill with contempt and mockery.
"You?"
"I'd like to see just what you can still do against me in that sorry state."
Li Xiang was already on her last legs.
The instant the words left his mouth, Thorn lunged forward.
His tall, burly frame charged straight at Li Xiang, a fierce gust striking her face with suffocating pressure.
Li Xiang tensed and immediately sidestepped backward, forcing some distance between them.
Through several brief exchanges, she avoided engaging him, dodging the entire time.
But she could not hold out much longer.
Thorn's attacks were fast and vicious. A relentless barrage of punches and kicks pressed closer, cutting off her room to maneuver.
The repeated dodging, the immense drain on her stamina, and the blood constantly seeping from wounds all over her body pushed her to her limit.
Her limbs began to ache and tremble. Her breathing turned rapid and uneven, her vision gradually blurred, and every movement brought piercing exhaustion and pain.
Her body was already on the verge of giving out.
"Dodging? Let's see how long you can keep that up!"
Spotting a moment when she slowed, Thorn gathered all his strength, abruptly